Material flow analysis was used to study the movement of materials in Liaoning Province from 1990 to 2008. The researchers found that while there was a trend of using less material, the environmental impact of material input was still significant. Efforts to reduce material input and waste output were somewhat successful, but more work is needed to further decrease environmental damage. The study suggests that as material input increases, so does wastewater discharge, highlighting the importance of sustainable resource management in industrial areas like Liaoning Province.